1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dielectric sputtering target having high strength for forming capacitor films of highly integrated semiconductor memories of the next generation and to thin films of functional dielectric, and to a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Background
It is known, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 6-330297, that sputtered films can be formed at considerably high speeds by stable direct current sputtering. This technique is made possible because the electric resistivity of sintered body targets can be reduced to 10 .OMEGA.-m or less when powders of (Ba, Sr) Ti oxides are sintered in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere to form a target of oxygen-deficient oxides.
Sputtering methods which operate at higher electric power have been required in recent years in order to form sputtered films at higher speeds. However, there are some problems which are known concerning these higher power methods, which include the fact that the dielectric targets are brittle and easily crack during the sputtering process under high electric power, thereby interfering with stable film formation at high speeds. A need, therefore, continues to exist for improvements in the dielectric targets employed in rapid sputtering processes at high speed.